Online Gambling IS Illegal.

[tec0]

Court pulls plug on online gambling

Online gambling has been declared illegal by a ruling in the North Gauteng High Court, putting an end to years of arguments around where technically the gambling takes place and whether it would be considered legal if hosted outside of SA.

The ruling, handed down in Johannesburg by Judge Neil Tuchten last Friday, ends years of debate about whether online gambling is legal, as the act of gambling is now deemed to take place at the punter's computer, and not where the server is located.

As a result, it is an offence for Internet service providers (ISPs) to facilitate online gambling, and for the media to run advertisements promoting interactive gaming. In addition, banks cannot aid people in gambling online.

The overall gaming industry is worth about R16 billion in revenue each year, and South Africans bet about R212 billion in legal gambling annually, according to the National Gambling Board. About 7% of global gambling revenue is spent on the Internet.

However, online gambling in SA is illegal, because the National Gambling Act of 2004 does not make provision for it. Arguments around the question of where the gambling takes place, if a gambling Web site is hosted outside of the country's borders, have been winding their way through the legal system for some time.

Source:

http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?opt...d=69&Itemid=58

Well what happens to the people that thought it was legal and saw all the advertisements supporting that notion??

[Dave A]

I suppose they'd better cash their chips - real quick

[AndyD]

I think as soon as they figure out how to get their pound of flesh otherwise known as taxes from online gambling they'll make provision for it in the act.

[greghsa]

I thought that Dolph Lungren was going to be out of a job and this confirms it:
"The board has also asked media houses and advertising agencies to pull all advertising for online gambling sites - including Silversands Casino's ads featuring actor Dolph Lundgren, Ed Jordan's Piggs Peak commercials and print adverts for the African Palace online gambling site. It also warns that those who do not will be severely punished - as will those who gamble online" (http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/art...nline-gambling)

[AndyD]

Oh no, there's going to be a glut of third rate actors looking for work shortly.

[tec0]

Honestly how many online gamblers knew it was actually illegal? It is on TV, there were no warnings on the websites in question and there was no real reason to suspect any trouble. Not to mention that they had legit banking details and real millionaire winners winning up to 16 million.

So innocent people in prison will be the future for a lot of these gamblers... I can only imagine the fear that they have to live with knowing that one-day soon the cops will knock on their door and they will go to prison for no reason other than “the government said so”

Now that is really a scary thought.

[Martinco]

If you look closely at the ad they say they can teach you "how to gamble". Its a "gambling school"
I have never been on the site but I assume you can "progress" into a fully fledged gambling situation once you have been "taught" how to.

[daveob]

So does this mean that I can't claim what I spent on the EuroMillion lottery as a capital gains Loss on my next return ?